EDITORIAL: Congress's Own Liechtenstein

On the same day the House whooped through a 90% surtax on some bonuses, Bloomberg News reported that Democratic Rep. Pete Stark, a House eminento from California, may have been improperly claiming residency in Maryland to get a tax break. As you might guess, Maryland’s tax bite isn’t as deep as wonderful California’s. This follows on news reports last week that Democratic New York Congressman Eliot Engel has been told by Maryland authorities he too may not claim his suburban Maryland home as his primary residence for tax purposes. The AP noted, “Engel isn’t the only politician who’s been found to be improperly receiving the credit. Another Congressman, some U.S. Senators and several Maryland legislators have also been tripped up by the requirements.”

Read more: (Editorial, “Congress’s Own Liechtenstein,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/20/09)